Winshill Village Primary School

Safeguarding

At Winshill Village Primary & Nursery School, the needs and welfare of every child are paramount. We believe that all children have the right to feel safe, to be protected from abuse and neglect, and to have their wellbeing safeguarded at all times.

Our school follows the statutory guidance set out in Working Together to Safeguard Children (2023), Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024), and the procedures of the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children’s Board (SSCB).

Safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone. We all have a statutory duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, maintaining the professional attitude of “it could happen here” where safeguarding is concerned.

At Winshill, we are committed to:

Keeping children safe and putting their best interests first
Creating and maintaining a vigilant, safe environment where concerns can be raised and acted upon quickly
Expecting all staff, governors, volunteers, and visitors to share in this commitment
Acting without delay if we believe a child may be at risk of harm by reporting concerns immediately
Working in partnership with families and external agencies to secure the best possible outcomes for vulnerable children

As Keeping Children Safe in Education (2024) reminds us:

“Safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone who comes into contact with children and their families and carers has a role to play. In order to fulfil this responsibility effectively, all professionals should make sure their approach is child centred. This means that they should consider, at all times, what is in the best interests of the child.”

Policies and Procedures

Our procedures for Safeguarding, incorporating Child Protection, can be viewed here:

Winshill Village Primary & Nursery School Safeguarding Procedure

JTMAT Safeguarding Policy

JTMAT Off Site Education

Behaviour

Attendance & Punctuality Anti-Bullying Preventing Extremism & Radicalisation Health, Safety & Wellbeing JTMAT Staff Code of Conduct Whistleblowing Approaches to the Teaching of PSHE and RSE

Key Personnel & Contacts

All safeguarding concerns should be reported immediately to a member of our Safeguarding Team, in line with our school policy and procedures.

During school hours and term time, you can contact the Safeguarding Team by calling the main school number: 01283 247570.

Out of School Hours

If you are concerned about the safety or wellbeing of a child outside of school hours, weekends, or during holidays, please use the contact details below:

Staffordshire

Staffordshire Children’s Advice and Support Team (Mon–Fri, 8am–5pm): 0300 111 8007
Emergency Out of Hours (Evenings & Weekends): 0345 604 2886

Police

Non-Emergency: 101
Emergency: 999

Safeguarding Team (ID 1504)

Mrs L Howard

Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL)

Mrs L Howard
Mrs H Brown

Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead (DDSL)

Mrs H Brown
Mrs F Tipper

Governor Champion for Safeguarding

Mrs F Tipper

Operation Encompass

At Winshill Village Primary & Nursery School, we take part in Operation Encompass, a national initiative that helps schools support children and young people who have experienced domestic abuse. Through this scheme, the police inform schools—prior to the start of the next school day—when a child has been involved in or exposed to a domestic abuse incident.

The information is shared with the school’s Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL), who acts as the Key Adult. The Key Adult has received specific training to liaise with the police and to use the information in a sensitive and confidential manner. This enables us to provide timely and appropriate support for children and their families, recognising that experiences of domestic abuse can cause emotional, social, or learning difficulties.

By being part of Operation Encompass, we can offer the right support as quickly as possible, helping children feel safe, cared for, and ready to learn. We are committed to providing the best support possible, and we believe this initiative is highly beneficial to our pupils and their families.

Further information can be found via: